Things named after Hong Kong

You can tell something about a place and how it’s viewed by others by the phrases in different languages that use its name. ‘Shanghai’ used to be a verb meaning “to kidnap”; ‘Afghanistanism’, in turn, a noun meaning —– as the sublime Oxford English Dictionary puts it —– a “Preoccupation (esp. of journalists) with events far distant, as a diversion from controversial issues at home”. These usages have obviously both been rendered obsolete with time, unfortunately so in the latter case…

I was intrigued by how Hong Kong is portrayed and reflected in its non-city-specific usages in (sometimes old-fashioned) English. Here are the phrases I’ve come across so far:

Hong Kong foot (more commonly known in English as athletes’ foot, but that is the usual phrase or some fin Chinese)

Hong Kong Phooey (a cartoon character who will soon come back in film form blessed with the voice of Eddie Murphy; surely the tax rebel Wesley Snipes would have been more appropriate?)

Hong Kong flu (the 1968 global pandemic… that must have been fun for the local tourist board)

I’ll put any more phrases on this page as I come across them.

In non-attributive uses: Apparently “Hong Kong” was also a croquet term referring to when an opponent’s ball was sent (presumably within the laws of the game) to a far-off corner of the ground (or beyond it). Similarly, “go to Hong Kong” was used as an equivalent of “go to hell” at some point, according to the OED. I can’t imagine being asked to go anywhere nicer…